Ronan knew that the kid had gone off to brag to Kaya, his childhood sweetheart, again.
However, he had already found out where the blacksmith's shop was. Forging an iron spear shouldn't be difficult.
Then, the next second, an embarrassing and cruel fact struck him.
He had no money.
Ever since crossing over, he hadn't had a single coin on him. A penny could stump a hero.
Ronan sighed and turned to Nami, putting on a gentle yet purposeful smile. "Miss Nami..."
Nami immediately turned her head, her gaze sharp. "What is it? Let me make this clear first: I'm not lending you any money!"
Nami's merciless words instantly shattered Ronan's gentle expression, making the corner of his mouth twitch violently.
"However," Nami changed her tone, a shrewd smile unique to money-lovers appearing at the corner of her mouth, "if you really want to borrow some, my interest rates are very high!"
Seeing the Belly symbols practically gleaming in Nami's eyes, Ronan sighed helplessly. "No problem. I'll borrow it!"
Nami's eyes lit up, and her tone immediately became excited. "How much?"
Ronan said, "I want to forge an iron spear. I'm not sure how much it will cost."
"Forge an iron spear?"
Nami's interest instantly soared. She could already see the profits rolling in with the Belly.
She immediately stood up and pulled Ronan along. "Then let's go together! I'll help you check the price. Don't let the Blacksmith cheat you!"
Luffy and Zoro also got up. Luffy shouted excitedly:
"I want to go see too!"
Zoro merely said, "Then let's go together."
The four of them left the restaurant and headed toward the blacksmith's shop.
Sure enough, not far from the restaurant, a crude blacksmith's shop filled with the atmosphere of everyday life appeared before them.
Iron shovels, rakes, and other farm tools were scattered around the shop, while a blazing forge stood in the center.
Inside, a man in his thirties or forties was hard at work. Dressed in coarse linen, he looked more like an honest farmer.
Ignoring the surrounding farm tools, Ronan walked straight into the shop and looked at the man. "Boss, can you make an iron spear?"
The owner raised his head and looked at the group of young outsiders in surprise. "An iron spear? I've only made farm tools like iron shovels and pickaxes. I've never forged a weapon."
Ronan's eyes lit up as he looked at the entirely iron pickaxe beside the owner—he knew this Blacksmith possessed the skill to cast iron tools as a single piece.
"Boss, it's very simple!"
Ronan had the owner find a sheet of paper, then quickly drew the design of the iron spear on it:
"Just use the same process you use for making pickaxes on a long iron rod, and cast a sharp spearhead!"
Pointing at the drawing, Ronan gave the exact measurements:
"The shaft should be as thick as a child's arm. Including the spearhead, it should be one zhang and eight chi long!"
It was precisely the shape of an Eighteen-Foot Spear.
The owner carefully examined Ronan's drawing, pondered for a moment, then nodded. "I see. It can be made."
Ronan was delighted. "Boss, how much will it cost?"
The owner held up five fingers. "Five thousand Belly!"
Ronan breathed a sigh of relief. For a specially made weapon, that price was practically a steal. "Five thousand Belly? That's not expensive."
The owner smiled as he explained, "Of course. It's only more expensive because your spear is rather long and needs to be thick and heavy."
Ronan immediately looked at Nami with a fawning smile. "Nami, hurry up and pay."
Nami looked pained as she reluctantly pulled five thousand Belly from her pocket, as though she were smashing it onto the counter. "Here, five thousand Belly. Take it!"
Although five thousand Belly wasn't a large sum to Nami, she was still extremely reluctant to watch the money leave her hands.
She glared fiercely at Ronan and warned him:
"Ronan! You'd better pay me back quickly! Otherwise, my interest will keep getting higher!"
Ronan gave Nami a confident, gentle look:
"Don't worry. I can afford to repay this much Belly."
The Blacksmith took the money and nodded. "Young man, come pick it up tomorrow morning."
Soon afterward, led by the three children under Usopp's command, Ronan and the others followed the mountain path to the gates of a magnificent estate at the highest point in the village.
Looking at the grand European-style villa before them, Luffy couldn't help exclaiming, "Wow! It's huge!"
The three children leading the way watched the gate warily and whispered, "If the Captain disappears at this time of day, he must be here."
Luffy asked in confusion, "What does Usopp come here for?"
One of the children, whose hair covered his eyes, answered directly, "To lie!"
Nami frowned at that and looked at the child. "How can that be okay? Lying is wrong!"
Another child immediately puffed out his chest and retorted, "There's nothing wrong with it! It's a very great thing!"
Even Zoro, who was usually silent, showed a puzzled expression. He asked the children, "What do you mean by that?"
The children began explaining all at once:
"Miss Kaya, who lives in this villa, has always been frail and sickly. After her parents died of illness a year ago, she's been depressed ever since."
"No matter how rich you are, isn't that the saddest thing possible?"
"So the Captain uses the tall tales he's best at to make her laugh!"
"The Captain is an absolute master at bragging!"
Ronan understood as he watched the scene unfold before him.
He knew Usopp's lies were not malicious deeds, but well-intentioned meddling.
He didn't spoil anything for Luffy and the others. He simply watched quietly as everything happened.
Listening to the children's sincere words, Luffy's eyes filled with respect. "Then isn't he amazing?"
The children all nodded. "Yeah!"
"I like how the Captain loves meddling in other people's business."
"I like how he has leadership qualities."
"I like how he loves bragging."
The three children each expressed their affection and pride in Usopp.
After hearing them out, Nami's eyes softened as well. She bent down and asked with concern, "Then has Miss Kaya gotten any better?"
The children answered proudly, "Much better!"
Hearing that, Luffy clapped his hands excitedly. "Great! Since she's better now, let's go ask whether she can give us a ship!"
Ronan and Zoro looked toward the front of the estate, where two burly men with unfriendly expressions stood.
The children sighed. "Just getting inside is difficult. There are very formidable guards watching the gate."
Just then, Luffy had already leaped onto the villa's iron fence like a monkey with a whoosh.
Zoro asked in confusion, "Luffy?"
Luffy turned back with a grin. "I'm going to ask!"
As he spoke, he grabbed the top of the iron fence with both hands and stretched his body backward with all his might.
Zoro's eyes widened in astonishment. "Don't tell me you're..."
The children cried out in terror, "His arms stretched out?!"
Luffy pressed his body against the ground like a taut rubber band, just about to launch himself—
Ronan, Zoro, and Nami instinctively clung tightly to his elastic body!
Boom—!
With a deafening blast, the accumulated elastic force erupted in an instant!
Before you continue